Goku
Goku, also known as Son Goku (孫 悟空?) Goku, in the original Japanese-language version[1] and in the English language manga, is a character and the protagonist of the Dragon Ball manga series written by Akira Toriyama. He is loosely based on Sun Wukong, a central character in the classical Chinese novel Journey to the West.[2] Goku is introduced as an eccentric, monkey-tailed boy who practices martial arts and possesses superhuman strength.[3] At first, Goku is believed to be an Earthling, but he is later revealed to be a member of an extraterrestrial warrior race called the Saiyans.[4] In Dragon Ball, Goku trains himself in various martial arts and searches the planet for the seven Dragon Balls. He meets other characters with similar goals, such as Bulma, with whom Goku travels to find the Dragon Balls. As Goku matures, he becomes one of universe's mightiest warriors and protects his adopted home planet, Earth from villains who wish to harm it. Goku is depicted as carefree and aloof when at ease but quickly serious and strategic-minded when fighting. Goku is able to concentrate his Ki and use it for devastatingly powerful energy-based attacks, the most prominent being his signature Kame Hame Ha technique, in which Goku launches a blue energy blast from his palms. As the protagonist, Goku appears in most of the episodes, films, television specials, and OVAs of the anime series Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z and''Dragon Ball Z Kai'', as well as many of the franchise's video games. Due to the series' international popularity, Goku has become one of the most recognizable and iconic anime characters. Outside the Dragon Ball franchise, Goku has made cameo appearances in Toriyama's self-parody series''Neko Majin Z, has been the subject of other parodies, and has appeared in special events. Goku's critical reception has been largely positive and he has been recognized as the greatest manga/anime character of all time. Western countries were introduced to the version of Goku appearing in the ''Dragon Ball Z anime, an adaptation of Dragon Ball Volumes 17-42, as opposed to his initial child form, which Japan was first introduced to.[5] Appearances Goku first appears in the manga chapter Bulma and Son Goku (ブルマと孫悟空 Buruma to Son Gokū?), originally published in Japan's Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine on December 3, 1984.[6] Goku first appears as a supremely strong, monkey-tailed child adopted by the hermit Gohan. Before the series' narrative begins, he accidentally kills Gohan on a full-moon night when he temporarily transforms into a giant ape-like creature. Living alone, Goku befriends a teenage girl named Bulma and joins her to find the seven Dragon Balls, which, when gathered, summon the wish-granting dragon Shenron. They encounter the desert bandit Yamcha and two shapeshifters named Oolong and Puar, who also join their quest. Goku is later trained by the martial artist Master Roshi, alongside a Shaolin monk named Krillin, who becomes his best friend. While participating in the World Martial Arts Tournament, Goku battles foes-turned-allies such as Tenshinhan and Chiaotzu, as well as the Namekian Piccolo. After becoming the runner-up champion of the 21st and 22nd tournaments, Goku finally wins in the 23rd tournament with Piccolo's defeat, and marries the Ox King's daughter Chi-Chi soon after. Five years later, Goku meets his evil older brother, Raditz, and sacrifices himself to defeat Raditz after he learns about his heritage.[7][8] Goku comes from a race of extraterrestrials called Saiyans that live on the planet Vegete, himself having been sent from Vegete to prepare Earth for sale on the intergalactic market by destroying all its life.[9] While Grandpa Gohan is taking care of him, Goku suffers severe amnesia and forgets his mission to conquer Earth.[9] Goku faces enemies linked to his heritage, such as the Saiyan prince Vegeta, who eventually becomes his ally; and the galactic tyrant Frieza, who destroyed Planet Vegeta. This is the great battle where Goku becomes a Super Saiyan. After his battle with Frieza, Goku contracts a heart virus whereof the time-traveler Trunks warns him, but recovers after taking medicine provided by Trunks. Later, Goku trains his first son, Gohan, to be his successor and sacrifices himself again during the battle against the evil life-form Cell. Goku is resurrected on Earth seven years later and meets his second son, Goten. Shortly after, he is drawn into a battle for the universe against the monster Majin Buu. Goku also battles Vegeta again after Vegeta falls under the control of the wizard Babidi. Eventually, Goku destroys Buu with a Ultra Spirit Bomb. Ten years later, during another World Martial Arts Tournament with paiters from all over the wolrd , Goku meets Buu's human reincarnation, Uub and leaves with him, intending to train Uub as another successor.[10] In the anime sequel, Dragon Ball GT, Goku is transformed into a kid by an accidental wish made by his enemy Emperor Pilaf using the Black Star Dragon Balls.[11] Goku, Trunks, and Goku's granddaughter Pan travel the universe to search for the Black Star Dragon Balls and return them to Earth. Here, Goku defeats the evil Tuffle Baby, Super Android 17, and the evil Shadow Dragons. His final challenge is against Omega Shenron, who he destroys using the Spirit Bomb.[12] Goku leaves with the original form of Shenron and appears 100 years later at the next martial arts tournament as an adult, where he watches a battle between his descendant, Goku Jr., and Vegeta's descendant. An elderly Pan sees him, but he quickly departs.[13] Conception and Creation Goku was based on one of Akira Toriyama's earlier characters named Tanton, a fictional protagonist who appeared in a one-shot series called Dragon Boy.[14] In this story, Tanton has a pair of wings. When Toriyama created Dragon Ball, he was inspired by Chinese author Wu Cheng'en's 16th century classic novel Journey to the West. The name Goku is the Japanese version of 孫悟空(Sun_Wukong), the central character of the novel. Toriyama designed Goku as a human boy with a monkey's tail, rather than a complete simian, because the tail would be visible even when Goku was trying to hide.[14] Similarly, in Journey to the West, Sun Wukong can assume human form, but retains his tail. Toriyama initially planned to make Goku an Earthling, but given the introduction of fighters from other planets, it was later established that Goku is a Saiyan. To increase the pace of the story, Toriyama gave Goku the ability to teleport to any planet in seconds.[15] Wanting Dragon Ball to have a Chinese appearance, Toriyama modeled Goku's gi (martial arts uniform) on the robes worn by the Shaolin monks of China.[16] During early developments of the manga, readers commented that Goku looked rather plain, so the author changed his appearance and added several characters like Master Roshi and Krillin, then created the World Martial Arts Tournament to base the storyline on fighting. To defy the assumption that Goku would win the tournaments, Toriyama made him lose the first and second but win the third. With the conclusion of the Cell Saga, Gohan was intended to replace his father as protagonist, but Toriyama decided that Gohan was unsuitable for that role.[14] http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Goku&action=edit&section=3 editDesign Goku is usually recognized by his unique hairstyle, which does not change its length except in his Super Saiyan forms, wherein his changes in color and length according to the form he takes. This is explained by Vegeta to be a common characteristic of full-blooded Saiyans.[17] Except in his Super Saiyan 4 state, Goku's hair color changes from black to golden after ascending to a Super Saiyan, and his irises change from black to green. Goku prefers dressing in a dōgi uniform to show his devotion to Earth, instead of standard battle fatigues of his race;[18] the only time he actually does wear these garments is during his training with Gohan in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber at Kami's Lookout, before the Cell Games.[19] In his early childhood, Goku is introduced wearing a dark colored dōgi uniform with red wristbands and a white belt tied in a bow.[6] Throughout Dragon Ball Z, Goku is commonly seen wearing an orange dōgi uniform with a blue short-sleeved undershirt, blue wristbands, a blue belt tied in a knot, and striped boots. Goku also often wears the encircled kanji of his training masters on the front and back of this uniform; the first kanji being Master Roshi's, "kame" (亀?, meaning "turtle");[20] the second kanji being King Kai's, "kaio" (界王?, meaning "world king");[21] and the third being his own "Go" (悟?, meaning "wisdom" or "enlightenment").[22] Eventually, Goku stops wearing a kanji[23] and replaces his knot-tied belt with a blue obi.[23] In Dragon Ball GT, Goku wears a multi colored dōgi that consists of a blue fold-over shirt, yellow pants, pink wristbands, and white shinguards, and he also has a darker skin complexion.[24] http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Goku&action=edit&section=4 editVoice actors In the Japanese version of the entire Dragon Ball anime series and subsequent spin-offs, Goku has been voiced by Masako Nozawa. Toriyama selected Nozawa upon hearing her audition sample, remarking that only Goku could sound like that.[25] In most non-Japanese versions, different voice actors have been used for the child and adult forms of the character. In the numerous English versions, Goku is played by different actors because different companies produced the dubs, by reason of changes of ADR companies and recording studios, or due to actors quitting. In Harmony Gold's very brief English dub of Dragon Ball, Goku (renamed "Zero") was voiced by Barbara Goodson.[26] In Bandai's English release of the video game Final Bout, Brianne Siddall was the voice of kid Goku.[27] In Funimation's original dub of the first 13 episodes of Dragon Ball and the movie Curse of the Blood Rubies (produced in association with BLT Productions), kid Goku was voiced by Saffron Henderson.[28] In Funimation's in-house dub of the franchise, kid Goku was originally voiced by Ceyli Delgadillo in the movies Sleeping Princess in Devil's Castle and''Mystical Adventure'' dubbed before the series;[28] Stephanie Nadolny in the entire Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball GT series, the movie The Path to Power, as well as various video games;[28] and byColleen Clinkenbeard in flashbacks for Dragon Ball Z Kai and the movie Curse of the Blood Rubies.[29] In AB Groupe's English dub of Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball GT (produced in association with Blue Water Studios) for Canadian and European broadcast, kid Goku was voiced by Zoe Slusar.[30] In Bandai's English dub of the video game Final Bout, Steven Blum voiced adult Goku.[27] In Creative Products Corporation's dub of the first 35 episodes of Dragon Ball Z (produced in association with Animation International) for the Philippines, adult Goku was voiced by Nesty Calvo Ramirez.[31] In Funimation's dub of the first 67 episodes (edited into 53) of Dragon Ball Z produced in association with Saban and Ocean Productions, adult Goku was voiced by Ian James Corlett in episodes 1-49 (1-37 edited) and then by Peter Kelamis in episodes 50-67 (38-53 edited).[32] InGeneon's dub of the movies Dead Zone, The World's Strongest and The Tree of Might (produced in association with Funimation and Ocean Productions), Peter Kelamis again voiced adult Goku.[33] In Westwood Media's dub of the last half of Dragon Ball Z (produced in association with Ocean Productions) for European and Canadian broadcast, adult Goku was voiced by Peter Kelamis in episodes 108-158 and by Kirby Morrow in episodes 159-291.[34] In AB Groupe's dub of Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball GT (produced in association with Blue Water Studios) for Canadian and European broadcast, the adult Goku was voiced by Jeffrey Watson in Dragon Ball and Jeremiah Yurk in Dragon Ball GT.[30] In Funimation's in-house dub of the entire Dragon Ball franchise in the U.S., adult Goku has been voiced consistently by Sean Schemmel.[35] Abilities Through constant training, Goku has achieved many extraordinary abilities, like incredible superhuman strength and durability. He also possesses super speed[36] and swift reflexes, and can perform energy blasts formed from ki. As a child, Goku wields the Nyoi-bo (如意棒 lit. "Mind Stick"?, renamed "Power Pole" in Funimation's anime dub), a magic staff that extends and retracts on command, given to him by Grandpa Gohan;[6] but as he grows older and stronger, Goku eventually stops using the staff. Goku's first means of conveyance is a magic cloud called Kinto-un (筋斗雲 lit. "Somersault Cloud"?, renamed "Nimbus" in Funimation's dub), given to him by Master Roshi in return for saving Roshi's pet sea turtle.[37] After training with Kami, he learns to fly by virtue of the technique Bukū-jutsu (舞空術 lit. "Air Dance Technique"?) and uses the cloud less frequently. Goku's signature move is the Kamehameha (かめはめ波 lit. "Kamehame Wave"?), an energy blast technique learned from Master Roshi.[38] Another notable technique of Goku's, taught to him by King Kai, is the Kaiō-ken (界王拳 lit. "World King Fist"?), an attack that multiplies his chi and strength for an instant, but can also strain his body afterwards.[39] Goku's most powerful attack is the Genki Dama (元気玉 lit. "Good Spirit Ball"?, renamed "Spirit Bomb" in Funimation's dub), an energy sphere created by gathering ki from surrounding life forms, which he also learned from King Kai.[21] Goku also learns ateleportation skill called Shunkan Idō (瞬間移動 lit. "Teleport"?, renamed "Instant Transmission" in Funimation's dub), which he learned from the inhabitants of the planet Yardrat.[40] Goku is the only Saiyan in the series to achieve all known Saiyan transformations seen in the manga. In Dragon Ball, he can transform into a gigantic monkey-like creature called an Ōzaru (大猿 lit. "Great Monkey"?, renamed "Great Ape" or "Giant Ape" in Funimation's dub) when he stares at a full moon while possessing a Saiyan tail. Goku loses the ability to make this transformation when his friends cut off his tail.[41] Although it grows back, Goku's tail is later permanently removed by Kami.[42] In Dragon Ball GT, Goku is able to use this transformation again after regrowing his tail with the Elder Supreme Kai's help.[43] In Dragon Ball Z, Goku becomes the first Super Saiyan in a millennium in rage when Frieza kills Krillin on the planet Namek.[44] As the series progresses, Goku achieves every advanced form of Super Saiyan. Each transformation changes Goku's appearance and enormously enhances his abilities. Goku can fuse with Vegeta, creating a warrior with the combined powers and skills of both Saiyans. He can achieve this using two methods. The first method involves using the Potara Earrings presented to Goku by the Elder Kai, which results in a 'perfect fusion', creating Vegito ("Vegerot" in Viz Media's manga translation).[45] The other method, appearing only in the anime, is by performing the Metamorese Fusion Dance, which creates Gogeta. If the dance is performed incorrectly, it forms the obese Veku. Receptiona & Legacy Goku's character has been very well received by publications for manga, anime and other media. Anime News Network noted Goku as a good source of comedy and remarked that after everything he experiences, he remains a naïve character.[47] THEM Anime Reviews noted that Goku is not an omnipotent character in the first series, unlike Dragon Ball Z, and does not disappear for long periods of time between sagas. They also liked the way the series' depict his entire adventures, making him a good main character.[48] Rationalmagic.com praised Goku's innocence as one of the funniest parts of the series.[49] According to Julius Weideman, Goku's journey and ever-growing strength resulted in the character winning "the admiration of young boys everywhere."[50] Goku was ranked Number One in IGN's Top 25 Anime Characters of All Time,[51] and in Mania Entertainment's 10 Most Iconic Anime Heroes written by Thomas Zoth who commented that "Goku and Dragon Ball completely revolutionized the shonen genre."[52] In a Newtype poll from March 2010, Goku was voted the fourth most popular male character from the 1980s.[53] Several pieces of merchandising based on Goku have been released, including action figures,[54][55] plushes,[56][57] and keychains.[58] In a 2005 The Daily Reader article entitled "The Greatest Geek Movie Heroes of All Time", Goku is the only animated character listed, and is ranked tenth.[59] Goku has been featured in the Animage's Anime Grand Prix 1989 polls, ranked the second most popular male anime character.[60][61] One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda and Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto said that Goku inspired their series' themes.[62][63] In 2000, Goku placed third in an Animax poll of favorite anime characters.[64] In a survey of 1,000 people, conducted by Oricon in 2007, Goku ranked first place as the "Strongest Manga character of all time."[65] In the survey "friendship" developed by rankingjapan.com, in which people chose which anime character they would like as a friend, Goku ranked fifth.[66] Masako Nozawa, the Japanese voice actor who played Goku, said that she liked when he lost his tail because it made him look normal and that the character was still the same at the end of the series.[67] Jackie Chan has gone on record stating that Goku is his favorite Dragon Ball character.[68] The German rock band Son Goku takes their name from Goku. The band's lead singer Thomas D chose the name because Goku embodies the band's philosophy, saying he was "fascinated by Goku's naïveté and cheerfulness, yet, at the same time, a great warrior saving the world."[69] In 2010, a fiberglass statue of Goku was created by Chinese artist Edison Chen, with Chen's facial features instead of Goku's, as part of Chen's "I Hate You For Looking!" collection that was displayed at the "Treacherous Treis" exhibition.[70] Rafael Nadal confessed that when he was a young boy, he would run home from school to watch Goku in his favorite Japanese anime, Dragon Ball. CNN released an article explaining how Goku was Nadal's childhood inspiration, and called Nadal "the Dragon Ball of tennis" due to his unorthodox style "from another planet."[71] http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Goku&action=edit&section=7 editAppearances in other media Goku has appeared in various other media including an unofficial Taiwanese live-action film[72] and an unofficial Korean live-action film.[73] He was portrayed by Justin Chatwin in the 2009 20th Century Fox feature Dragonball Evolution.[74] Goku has also appeared in almost every Dragon Ball licensed electronic game, including crossover games such as Jump Super Stars and Jump Ultimate Stars. In 1992, Goku was featured in the interactive game Dragon Ball Z: Get Together! Goku World,[75] in which Goku and his gang travel back in time to review events in the Dragon Ball timeline and interacts with his younger self. In 2006, Goku was featured in the Dragon Ball Z, One Piece and Naruto crossover game Battle Stadium D.O.N. In December 2007, Goku, Naruto Uzumaki and Monkey D. Luffy made guest appearances in avatar form in the MMORPG Second Life for a Jump Festa promotion titled Jumpland@Second Life.[76] Goku also appears in the Dr. Slump and Arale-chan video game for the Nintendo DS.[77] Goku has been the subject of, and is mentioned in, various songs. "Son Goku Song"[78] and "Gokū no Gokigen Jānī"[79] feature Goku as a child singing about himself. During his adult years, the song "Aitsu wa Son Gokū" by Hironobu Kageyama, where Kageyama praises everything about Goku,[80] and the duet "Ore-tachi no Energy"[81] feature words spoken by the character. For the release of the single of the Dragonball Evolution international theme song "Rule" Toriyama supplied CD artwork of singer Ayumi Hamasaki dressed as Goku.[82] Goku has been used in Japanese public service announcements aimed at children. In June 1988, Goku and other Dragon Ball characters were featured in two PSA short films. The first, in which Goku is taught the importance of obeying traffic safety by others, is entitled The Goku Traffic Safety (悟空の交通安全 Gokū no Kōtsū Anzen?).[83] The second is called The Goku Fire Fighting Regiment (悟空の消防隊 Gokū no Shōbō-tai?), in which he teaches two children the importance of fire safety.[83]